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A group of police officers and investigators work at a crime scene. Photo by Faruk on

10 Things you didn鈥檛 know about the Atlanta Child Murders

The 1979鈥�1981 Atlanta Murders, also known as the Atlanta Child Murders, were a string of homicides that took place in Atlanta, Georgia, between July 1979 and May 1981. At least 28 children, teenagers, and adults were brutally murdered throughout the two years.

Wayne Williams, an Atlanta native who was 23 years old at the time of the last homicide, was apprehended, put on trial, and found guilty of two of the adult homicides. He was then given two consecutive life sentences which he is currently serving.

Although Williams has not been charged in any of the child murder cases, police have now linked him to a number of them. Williams also maintains his innocence, although the Atlanta child killings stopped following his arrest.

In March 2019 when Wayne was 61, the New Mayor of Atlanta, Keith Lance Bottoms asked the local police department to reopen the cases. She was a child during the spree of murders that sent chills across the city. The mayor revealed that the purpose of reopening the cases was to bring justice and peace to the victims’ families and not vindicate Wayne.

Below are the 10 Things you didn鈥檛 know about the Atlanta Child Murders:

1. The Atlanta Child Murders Spree Took Place in Two Years

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the residents of Atlanta lived in worry and tension as a cold-blooded killer had arrived in town. Children and young adults started being kidnapped and murdered in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

Edward Hope Smith (14) and Alfred James Evans (13) went missing in the summer of 1979 in four days apart. Seven days after they had gone missing, their bodies were discovered nearby each other. Alfred had been strangled to death and Edward shot and dumped in a vacant lot in the city.

This was the beginning of the two years murders spree and violent crimes in Atlanta. The serial killer came to be known as the 鈥楢tlanta Child Killer鈥� due to his trend of murdering young people.

2. The Atlanta Child Killer Targeted Young Black People

Crime Scene near a Wooden House. Photo by Cottonbro Studio on

After the first two young boys were found murdered, the residents of Atlanta never expected more murders to continue. However, the Atlanta Child Killer continued with his gruesome acts and had a specific target from the community.

He killed at least 20 boys, 2 girls, and six young men. Surprisingly, all the victims of the Atlanta Child Killer were black. This was a major clue on the hunt for the killer/killers as some believed to be the case.

3. The Murders led to the Imposition of a Curfew on Children leading to the Murders of Young Men

The victims of the Atlanta Child Killer were kidnapped and killed in different ways. Some of the victims were shot, and others were strangled or bludgeoned. The killings left the police without any clue of what they were dealing with.

These murders also put more fear in the residents of Atlanta and especially families with young children. The murders led to the imposition of a city curfew on children younger than 17. However, the curfew led to the beginning of the disappearance of young men who were later found murdered.

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4. An Investigator managed to Create a Map of the Victim鈥檚 Locations

A police car at a crime scene. Photo by Cottonbro on

During the two years spell of continuous killings, detectives tried their best in their investigations but could not figure out the intentions of the killer. The last reported victim went missing in May 1981 with his body being found two days later after being spotted with Wayne Williams.

Investigators started making a breakthrough in finding the geographical parameters of the victims. Chet Dettlinger, a renowned investigator managed to create a map of the victim鈥檚 locations.

The victims were of different ages but they fell within the same geographic location. All were believed to come from Memorial Drive and 11 major streets. This major clue helped in the hunt and arrest of the Atlanta Child Killer.

5. More than 100 Agents were Working on the Investigation

The Atlanta Child Murders caused more tension among the people living in the city. After the imposition of the curfew, parents had to remove their children from school and forbade them from playing outside to prevent them from being the next victims.

Throughout the killings, more than 100 agents were allocated and actively working on the investigation. The FBI had a clue of where the killer might dump the next body. They predicted his preference was in a water body to conceal any evidence that will link him to the murders.

This prediction helped them to arrest the murderer. The FBI had also discovered green carpet fibers and dog hairs on the bodies of the victims.

6. A 23-year-old Photographer and Talent Scout was Arrested after Suspicion of Dumping his Last Body

Wayne Williams in 2006. Photo by Bradliebler on

The murderer started changing his tactics regarding where he dumped the bodies of his victims. Initially, he used to dump the bodies in the woods but began dumping them near or in Atlanta鈥檚 Chattahoochee and South rivers.

The police, therefore, started setting up camp on and close to bridges that span the two Atlanta rivers to ultimately find the elusive culprit. For four weeks, they watched and waited for any indications of the murderer till suddenly, a group of police officers heard a suspicious noise.

Officers stationed close to Atlanta鈥檚 South Cobb Bridge heard a huge splash coming from the Chattahoochee River in the early morning hours of April 22, 1981. They quickly noticed a lone station wagon gently crossing the bridge. When the police halted the car, Wayne Williams, a 23-year-old photographer and 鈥渢alent scout,鈥� emerged from it.

They conducted a thorough search on the vehicle but never found any links to the murders. Wayne told the police that he was heading for to audition a woman, Cheryl Johnson as a singer with her records never being found.

However, the FBI started watching Wayne around the clock after the body of 27-year-old Nathaniel Cater was found in the Chattahoochee River two days later. After obtaining a search warrant, the police eventually went to his house and discovered carpet fibers and dog hairs that matched those found on many of the victims鈥� bodies.

7. Wayne was Initially Charged with Two Murders but later Linked with other Murders

On December 28, 1981, jury selection got underway. It lasted six days. The jury was made up of nine women and three males, including eight African Americans and four Caucasians.

On January 6, 1982, Judge Clarence Cooper presided over the start of the trial. The fiber analysis between the murder of Jimmy Ray Payne and Nathaniel Cater, and the other 12 pattern-murder cases was a crucial piece of evidence.

Witnesses also claimed to have spotted Wayne Williams with some of the victims with their revelations being included in this evidence. Some witnesses even hinted that he may have asked for sexual favors.

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8. An FBI Agent Helped Prosecutors get Wayne Confess by using a New Strategy for Questioning

An FBI agent on duty. Photo by FBI on

Then-FBI agent John E. Douglas assisted the prosecutors greatly in getting Wayne Williams to confess to the murders. The strategy for questioning him involved making him stand for a long and riling him by focusing on his failures in life which worked out.

During the new strategy of questioning, Wayne started becoming very hostile. On 27^th February 1982 after 11 hours of deliberation, Wayne was found guilty of the two murders.

He was immediately sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. The police also attributed six other Atlanta Child Murders to him without bringing charges.

9. Williams Still Maintains his Innocence and Some Investigators Believe he didn鈥檛 Commit all Murders

Wayne Williams who is still serving his two-life sentences has never agreed that he committed all the Atlanta Child Killer. He has always maintained his innocent which was supported by some investigators who believed that he never committed all murders.

Criminal profiler John E. Douglas stated that while he thinks Williams is responsible for a majority of the murders, he is not certain of this. 鈥淚t isn鈥檛 a single perpetrator, and the truth isn鈥檛 pleasant,鈥� Douglas stated cryptically, adding that he thinks law enforcement officials know who the other murderers are.

10. Atlanta鈥檚 New Mayor Keisha Lance Reopened the Cases in 2019

Keisha Lance Bottoms. Photo by Atlanta City Hall on

On 21^st March 2019, Atlanta鈥檚 new mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, and Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields made an interesting move on the Atlanta Child Killer cases. Mayor Keisha was a child during the spree of the Atlanta Child killings.

The Mayor and police chief announced that the cases were to reopen with the evidence from the murders being re-tested. Mayor Keisha came out and revealed that she wanted justice and peace for the victim’s families and that she was not vindicating Wayne.

 鈥淚t may be there is nothing left to be tested. But I do think history will judge us by our actions and we will be able to say we tried.鈥� Mayor Keisha stated in a news conference.

The Atlanta Child Murders will always remain to be interesting because not all families of the victims were satisfied with the outcome.

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